HAUTE-SAVOIE ARCHIVES

"GÉNÉREUSE HAUTE-SAVOIE" Exposition

HAUTE-SAVOIE ARCHIVES

"GÉNÉREUSE HAUTE-SAVOIE" Exposition

(Generosity in Haute-Savoie) As part of creating an inventory linked to the donations and gifts made in the area from 1860 to 1940, the Haute-Savoie Departmental Archives would like to show the richness that these documents bring to the written heritage of the area through the exposition, “Généreuse Haute-Savoie : histoire des dons et legs en Haute-Savoie (1860-1940)” [Generosity in Haute-Savoie: a history of donations and gifts (1860-1940)]. This generosity does not only coincide with France annexing the Savoie area: it had already existed for centuries, in the northern part of Savoie during the Middle Ages and under the Ancien (Former) Regime. By looking at this documentation for the donations and gifts provided by individuals, verified by the prefecture, approved or without follow-up, we can see that these endowments were deployed in multiple areas and for a variety of beneficiaries: assistance (towns, hospitals or charities, volunteer emergency organizations), religious (parishes) or even the fine arts and culture (museums, libraries, and learned societies).